Kitchen sink recommendations

Hello,
We'll be replacing our kitchen sink soon, and my wife wants an undermount
stainless. She's shopping price, and I'm wondering about what we should be
looking for in a sink?
How does stainless compare to porcelain?
If we go with stainless, are there certain "specs" we should be looking for?
If so, what specs would be better?
What are the pro's and con's of undermount vs top mount? We'll probably
have stone countertops, and we'll be using a disposal.
Thanks,
Steve

In my opinion there is no comparison to the look of an udermount sink if
your talking about Granite counters. A few things to be aware of make sure
the sink comes with a cut out pattern ( it Should) Some installers charge
extra to make a pattern. Some of the sinks are deeper so you might have to
change the plumbing in the wall ( lower the trap adaptor) Stainless or
Porcelain there both good . The stainless is my perseverance just like the
look and we did our whole kitchen wit stainless appliances. The stainless
sink have come a long way for looks and quality. The udermount sinks do cost
more . You need to go out and check them out. I know a lot of people find
the sink they want and then buy them on e-bay.

maximum size for a turkey platter and maximum depth for a soup or
lobster pot. its integral drainboard must pitch into the sink and to
its drain and be rinseable with a sprayer of a high rising single
handle delta fixture. big enough to wash an infant or 20 lb dog.
stainless can be waterspotted and noisy. go heavy gauge of any
material. all subject to what your wife likes, have her try out the
sinks at your friends and neighbors because the right choice will last
a lifetime.

Undermount is definitely the way to go, as it allows easier cleanup of
the countertops by just sweeping water or debris into the sink.
Personally, I prefer the look of an enamel sink. I had a stainless
and switched to white. I find the nice bright white warm look
preferable to the cold look of stainless. I also find it easier to see
things I'm working on, like peeling vegs, against the white background.
It's also quieter than the stainless it replaced, but the stainless
was a cheaper one, better/heavier ones are likely quieter too. But
all that is personal preference, either can be good choices.
I'd also go with a deeper bowl. That gives you more room and cuts way
down on splashback when you are washing things. As far as bowl type, I
like the 2 bowl type which are split about 2/3, 1/3. That gives you
one large bowl and one bowl that while smaller, is still fine for a
backup sink. IMO, the most useless sinks are the 2 bowl ones that
have one big bowl and one small/narrow bowl. That bowls is actually
intended for a disposal bowl, with the disposal going under it.
However, I much prefer having the disposal under the main bowl, because
that's where I do veg prep and can just send the remains down the
disposal. So, in my use, the little bowl just took up space.
Check out the Kohler Executive Chef and the Marsala, which are 2 bowls,
2/3, 1/3, and deep. I went with the Marsala, which has a single
faucet hole back of the middle divider and another hole in the corner.
That leaves the area at the back rear of the bowls, which normally
would be taken up by faucets free, so they make the bowls go back
another 3 inchs or so. That's the style I like best.

If you have a dishwasher, go with the biggest rectagular, single-basin,
undermount stainless steel sink that will fit in your cabinet. For
example:
http://www.kitchensource.com/kitchen-sinks/bl-501-113.htm
(or an equivalent to the Blanco magnum series)
However, 8 or 9 inches of depth (top to bottom) should be adequate to
prevent back-splatter. I'm not sure if deeper sinks might pose
reach-down ergonomic problems.
There's no reason to have more than one basin if you have a dishwasher
and you'll love being able to take advantage of all that uninterrupted
space. I have one and I can fit in cookie sheets, buckets, big vases,
refrigerator shelves & drawers, those plastic tote bins.... it's great.
(You might also want to consider a gooseneck faucet for more clearance
yet)

There is a very good reason and that's to have a second sink available.
In the middle of cooking, when the main sink has either pots, dishes,
scraps from food prep, etc in it, it's very convenient to have a second
sink available to use. A good example is using it for a collander,
while the other sink has stuff in it. I do this frequently. I also
use it to let pots or containers dry that aren't going in the
dishwasher.

Put your dishes on one half of the big single basin sink and put your
colander in the the other half or use a suspended over-the-sink
strainer. It's not difficult.
Again, there's no need for more than one basin, but there's always need
for the biggest basin you can get. A single basin delivers this.

Yeah, right, and you're the one that thinks it's gross using a spare
clean sink bowl to place pots or containers in to dry? But it's ok to
put a collander full of spaghetti in a dirty sink LOL

Look, this is personal preference. The OP asked for opinions and of
course they are going to vary. I happen to like a two bowl deep sink,
split 2/3, 1/3. The deeper bowl that goes all the way back, an extra 3
inchs back, compared to your single bowl sink, is plenty big enough for
me.
I don't give a damn if you want a one bowl sink. Your trailer probably
came outfitted that way. But to tell the rest of us that we're wrong
because we happen to like two bowl sinks is crass. If people didn't
like two bowl sinks, manufacturers wouldn't be able to sell them. Yet
we all see plenty of them being sold. I also frequently see them on
home improvement shows on TV and lots of them on cooking shows, with
pro chefs using them. So get a life and get over it.

If your colander is designed correctly, pasta should never see any
backwash. The bottom off the colander should have bottom clearance in
other words. If yours doesn't, having two basins won't prevent
contamination. Over-the-sink-strainers also do not see backwash.
My trailer? You need to calm down.
I understand that some double basin sinks still sell, but that doesn't
mean they're optimal. Many people just keep doing the same things as
pre-dishwasher era methods because they've "always done it that way",
but as you've demonstrated, there's no reason to have more than one
basin. You tried to come up with examples for reasons to put up with
smaller basin capacity and I showed how it's not necessary.

I prefer more of a compromise. A large bowl and a smaller bowl with the
garbage disposal. I find that even with a dishwasher, if the sink is big
enough, someone will leave a dish in it. With the small bowl, this is less
likely.
Also for stainless sinks, if you find the thinner ones noisy, you can apply
a patch of something like "dynamat" to the underside to quiet the
vibrations. This stuff is usually used for car audio installations to make
sheet metal vibrate less.

That's because you have a bug up your ass and obviously have a problem
with anyone that prefers a two bowl sink and doesn't go along with your
preferences. I gave you several examples of why I prefer one. So
did Pipedown and his reasoning is perfectly clear. It's personal
preference, get over it.

Once again, you need to calm down. I don't think you can speak for
someone else or read Mr. Pipe's mind.
If you have a reason for putting up with a smaller basin, then state
it. So far, you've yet to come up with an example that I couldn't
refute.

I have given you reasons for preferring a double bowl sink and so has
Mr. Pipe, but you're obviously not interested in listening, cause you
think you know what's best for everyone. It's personal preference.
Get a life and get over it!
So far, you've yet to come up with an example that I couldn't

Don't speak for Mr. Pipe, as he's yet to explain himself. I've
listened to your reasons and I've given refutations each time. Do you
disagree?
BTW, having "preferences" does not mean that debating the reasons
behind those preferences are off-limits. If you're that sensitive,
then maybe this forum isn't for you.

I don't speak for him. He was very clear in what he stated. Are you
that stupid?

I can live with people having different preferences, but clearly you
can't. You're the one claiming that there is no valid reason to want a
two bowl sink and dismissing everyone that likes them as if we were
dummies. It should be obvious from all the 2 bowl sinks around, that
lots of people like them and are very happy with them. Retailers sell
lots of them, high end kitchen designers use them, you can see them in
fancy kitchens on TV, in cooking shows used by pro chefs. I see them
most of the time in million dollar houses. I gave you reasons I like
them, so did Mr. Pipe, but you rant on that we are all wrong. You
probably think that everyone should only like your choice of car
orflavor of ice cream too, don;t you?
As I told you, I don;t give a damn what kind of sink you like. It's
personal preference. Get a life, get over it!

If you insist on speaking for Mr. Pipe, why don't you explain what he
meant? I double dare ya. This should be good.
You just regurgitated your tired line about "preferences" because you
cannot defend your reasons. That's fine. You're obviously unable to
carry on a calm, rational discussion.

I missed this statement the first time. You're kidding, right? You
let clean containers dry in the dirty bottom of a sink? Gross.
Besides, a place with a faucet above it isn't exactly the spot to dry
things.
Let things dry on a clean, sanitary counter, or invest in a dish towel.

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